What it Means to See

Nov 17

What does it mean to see? What does it require of you?

Let go of what you thought it meant, and let Me show you. (Yes, do you now understand?) What I show you and you understand is what it means to see.

* * *

When we ask Jesus for healing, what are we asking Him for? The absence of pain? The easing of difficulty? Are we desiring safety and comfort? The shaking off of the old and the picking up of the new?

And, as we consider, amid our circumstances, how we need Jesus, how might we be blind to the healing Jesus offers, our hard hearts making his love feel small? How might we be shortsighted and passive in our pursuit of Him? How are we discouraged and distracted rather than energized by and expectant for what Jesus defines as healing, the hope in love He promises to give?

* * *

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down, setting everything down so nothing is in your hands.

Open your palms and stretch a bit, taking deep breaths and rolling your shoulders and your head and neck.

Take a few minutes to close your eyes and consecrate your mind and heart to Jesus.

Lord, here is my heart. I give you every concern, every weight I am carrying. Fill this space. Open me up to hear you. I invite you in. (Stay here for a few moments, allowing Holy Spirit to take up what you have been trying to manage on your own.

Sit in this open space with God for a few minutes. (Set a timer if it helps you settle and relax into this unstructured time.) Allow Holy Spirit to lead you. Let Him guide your mind and imagination as you relax.

How do you feel about God now, as you sit with Him? Use this moment to tell Him; trust your heart to show you how.

Lord….

Next, listen for what He might be saying to you in return. Stay here, in this posture of listening to God’s love for you as long as you like.

Then, take a deep breath and let your heart engage with the prayer below, lyrics from the song “Open Up Let the Light In,” by Steffany Gretzinger. You can hit play and listen to the song here (on Spotify) or here (on YouTube).

Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in

Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in

Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in

Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in

Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in

Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in
Open up let the light in

How is your heart? What are you feeling as you engage with God now? Write a few words or draw a picture to express your feelings in your journal.

Next, return to the words shared at the top of the first page, considering what seeing might have to do with healing:

“What does it mean to see? What does it require of you?

Let go of what you thought it meant, and let Me show you. (Yes, do you now understand?) What I show you and you understand is what it means to see.”

What is your reaction to these words?

Lord….

Then, contemplate Mark 10:46-52, where Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus. Allow yourself to participate in the scene, especially what it might feel like to be Bartimaeus. Ask Holy Spirit to help you understand Bartimaeus’s heart in this situation. Feel his blindness. Perhaps get out your journal and write Bartimaeus’s internal dialogue before, during, and after his interaction with Jesus.

Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Finally, engage with God about your experience of absorbing the story. Don’t hold back.

Amen.